From Nana’s Bar

You may recall Nana and her Battle Between Bourbon and Scotch (if not, do be sure to watch the short video in that post for a small peek into the Southern past). She was a spirited soul, to say the least. And she kept a well stocked bar, with some beautiful accessories, some silly accessories, some just plain awesome accessories.

In the beautiful category, there’s this silver julep cup (pictured above and below, be sure to scroll down through all the photos). I’ll admit I’ve never owned one myself (despite drinking my good share of mint juleps); it seems like a superbly Southern extravagance, like ice piled high when ice was a precious item itself. The silver in this julep cup beautifully reflects everything around it, pulling in the light, taking on and enhancing the character of its surroundings.

A beautiful bar can also be silly sometimes… after the julep cup, there’s something to keep the mood light – a vintage bartender’s glass jigger, labeled “Ladies” for 3/4 oz, “Gents” for 1 1/2 oz and, well, a picture of a very happy pig for 3 oz. It’s delightfully old fashioned, not to be taken seriously.

And on to the “just plain awesome” category, two sets… vintage silver jiggers by Napier (a renowned American silver company), with silver hands emerging from the cups, one finger or two (I prefer two, myself).  Then an old leather carrying case with two glass flasks, one of which is conveniently labeled in scrawled lettering on masking tape – “Bourbon.” There’s no arguing with that.

I honestly have no idea how old these items are. They could have been found at a flea market in 1992 or a fine silver shop in 1929 (well, one was likely the former, the others more likely latter). What’s most important, though, is that they are, and forever will be, from Nana’s bar. Memories come in many forms.

Cheers.